16-Year-Old Girl Struck, Killed In Anoka Identified

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ANOKA, Minn. (WCCO) – A 16-year-old girl was struck and killed by a vehicle Monday evening as she ran across Highway 10 in Anoka.

According to the Anoka County Sheriff’s Department, the accident happened around 7:30 p.m.

The State Patrol says 16-year-old Hanna Craft of Ramsey was jogging across the westbound lane of Highway 10 near Greenhaven Road in Anoka when she was struck by a Mitsubishi Mirage.

Craft went to work at the nearby McDonald’s by mistake — she wasn’t on the schedule. It was when she was heading back home that she lost her life.

Craft died of her injuries at the scene. There is no crosswalk at that part of highway, though there was a stoplight with a crosswalk about 100 yards down the road. Residents nearby said that it has been a historically dangerous section of roadway, with a noted lack of street lights.

The speed limit where she was struck is 60 miles per hour.

Another crash involving two other cars happened shortly afterward.

Shante Marcelin and Carl Demby live along the busy highway. They saw few people take the time to walk to the end of the road to use the crosswalk, which is about a tenth of a mile from where Craft was hit.

“I just saw a whole bunch of people screaming call the police,” Demby said.

The Anoka city administrator says he’s been working with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for years to make this stretch of Highway 10 safer, but that it hasn’t been a state budget priority.

In September, a couple was killed along the same highway about two miles down when they crossed against the light.

MnDOT says it’s about to take on a study of the whole area.

They acknowledge it will be quite a while before any changes are made. But those who live around here, hope something will happen before someone else is hurt.

Anoka Police were also investigating the incident.

The driver had minor injuries and likely won’t face charges because while it is terrible, she wasn’t supposed to be crossing the road there.